


It's nice to have a friend

by serendipitous_rambles



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: A story of Anne and Gilbert growing and becoming friends to possibly more, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Lyrics from it's nice to have a friend by Taylor Swift
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-09-27 04:49:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20401930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipitous_rambles/pseuds/serendipitous_rambles
Summary: Anne and Gilbert are friends, that's it. Just friends.Even though they both can't deny there's something there.//Each chapter is based on lyrics fromIt's nice to have a friendby Taylor Swift





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _School bell rings, walk me home_   
_Sidewalk chalk covered in snow___   
_Lost my gloves, you give me one___   
_"Wanna hang out?" Yeah, sounds like fun___

"Alright class, that will be all for today." Miss Stacy dismissed the select few who had stayed behind for extra lessons. Queens' entrance exams would be soon, and Miss Stacy had created a special "Queens" class to prepare.

Anne tied her scarf around her neck, reaching for her hat at the same time as Gilbert reached for his. Their hands touched for a second before Anne snapped hers away as if his touch burned her. 

"See you tomorrow Gilbert." She shoved her hat on her head, running out the doors and down the snow-covered steps.

"Anne, wait!" Gilbert's voice came calling after her, running in the snow. "Let me walk you home."

He'd walked her home a few times now, but usually it had been a "coincidence". He would take an extra few seconds packing away his things so he'd be leaving the same time as Anne. But today he actually asked her.

She had stopped walking so he could catch up, "Alright." Her plan had been to run away from him, but she'd learned he could be persistent.

"Entrance exams are close, eh?" He said to break the silence. 

"Extremely." Anne sighed, watching her breath in the cold air. 

She listened to the crunch of snow beneath their feet, how Gilbert's steps were steadier and slower than hers. 

Her hands began to feel numb from where she was carrying her books so she reached into her coat pocket to put on her gloves. Only they weren't there. She'd been in such a rush to leave that she must have dropped them. 

Gilbert watched her rub her hands together, trying to warm them up by breathing on them.

"Where are your gloves?" He said, boldly taking both her hands in his and rubbing them to keep them warm. "Your hands are freezing."

"I must have forgotten them."

He took off his gloves and handed them to her, "Here, take mine."

She hesitated before taking them, "But what about you?" 

"I'll be alright." He said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Anne slipped her hand inside his gloves. They were too big for her, her fingers barely reaching the tips, but they were warm.

"Thank you." She smiled up at him, thankful that he had decided to walk home with her.

"Why do you insist on walking me home?" She suddenly said, "not that I don't mind it's just...why go out of your way?"

He shrugged, but she could see the faint blush on his cheeks ( _ it's just from the cold _ , she told herself. Of course she couldn't have that effect on him). "It's just what friends do."

She raised an eyebrow at him, "Oh? So we're friends now?"

He laughed and playfully wrapped an arm around her, "We're friends Anne whether you like it or not. You've thwarted destiny long enough."

"And it's destiny that we're friends?" She rolled her eyes and shoved his arm off her, but a smile crept onto her face.

He raised his hands in defense, "Hey, I don't make the rules."

She shook her head in mirth and Gilbert chuckled, the boyish grin audible on his face. It was a sound she had grown to enjoy despite herself.

They approached the gate of Green Gables and Anne hesitated with her hand on the wooden panel. Normally she said goodbye quickly and ran up to the porch, but today something felt different.

"Do you want to come in for some tea?" She played with his gloves in her hand before handing them over. "It's awfully cold out."

He smiled, taking the gloves back. "I'd love to. Thank you."

"That's what friends do." She mimicked his voice with a mockingly sweet smile as she walked up the porch. 

Gilbert hung back a moment, watching her. She had no idea just how in awe he was of her, but for now he'd gladly accept her friendship.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Light pink sky, up on the roof___   
_Sun sinks down, no curfew___   
_20 questions, we tell the truth___   
_You've been stressed out lately, yeah, me too___   
_Something gave you the nerve___   
_To touch my hand___

"I thought I'd find you here." Anne looked up from her thoughts to see Gilbert casually strolling towards her, hands in his pockets.

She was sat by the lake looking out across the water, mesmerised by the stillness. It was calming her uneasy mind.

"Did you?" She moved over so Gilbert could sit beside her, "Or did Marilla tell you where I was?"

"Marilla told me but I would have found you eventually. I always do."

She shuffled awkwardly when he sat just a little closer than normal.

"Why are you out here anyway?" He picked up a blade of grass and starting picking at it absentmindedly.

Anne sighed, scooping her knees up to her chest.

"Are you alright?" He adjusted his position to face her.

She nodded, her head bobbing up and down on her knees. "Yeah just... thinking."

"Worried about the results coming out?"

The results for the Queens' entrance exams were due to come out tomorrow, and Anne's mind was far from easy thinking about them. If she didn't get in them she couldn't become a teacher and then her whole life would be ruined. 

"How could you tell?" She laughed, but hugged her knees closer to herself. "I'm terrified. If I don't pass these then who knows what I'm going to do."

"I know you've done well."

"You can't say that. How do you possibly know?" 

"Sure I can. Because you're the smartest person I know." He shrugged like it was the most obvious fact in the world. “And in the very, _very_ unlikely event something doesn’t go to plan, I’ve no doubt you’ll still find a way to pursue your dream. You’re Anne Shirley-Cuthbert.”

Anne hid her face in her arms and said something but it was muffled.

"What was that?" Gilbert tilted his head down to hear it and Anne looked up, their faces closer than they were expecting. He gave her a nervous smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners in that way that made her stomach flip.

"I said, you're annoyingly optimistic sometimes."

"Aren't you the girl who says "follow where you passions lead you and you'll get there?"" He grinned even wider and she tilted her head back sighing.

"Stop using my words against me. If I fail it's all your fault Gilbert Blythe."

She dropped her hands to her sides, leaning back on them to look up at the sky. It was a beautiful warm pink, one of her favourite colours. Only of course she couldn't wear pink on account of being so redheaded. But it was nice to dream.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm stressed about the results too."

"But you're _ Gilbert Blythe _." She faked shock before raising an eyebrow. "Global and bookish."

He laughed, leaning back on his hands too. "I'm just saying, you're not alone."

"I know." She smiled a genuine smile. With Gilbert, she knew she wouldn't be alone. He had an annoying habit of understanding her better than she understood herself sometimes. It reminded her of something she'd read in a book once, "he's more myself than I am".

Gilbert looked down at their hands next to each other on the grass. Anne was looking out across the lake at the sunset. Her red hair seemed to catch the light perfectly, glowing as if she were meant to be part of the sky. 

Slowly, he moved his hand closer to hers, barely brushing his pinky against hers. He fixed his gaze out across the lake too as their pinkies touched. When she didn't pull away or flinch, he boldly moved his hand again until it was gently placed on top of hers.

As he glanced briefly at her out the corner of his eye, he saw a tiny smile tug at the corners of her mouth. 

Something in her made her feel brave, maybe it was the bolt of energy that seemed to be passing through their hands, but she turned hers over and laced their fingers together. Gilbert gave her hand a gentle squeeze as if to acknowledge this unspoken thing between them. But neither pulled away. 

"It's getting late," Gilbert finally said, Anne finally turning to meet his gaze. "Won't Marilla be expecting you?"

She shook her head. There was something different in her eyes that Gilbert hadn't seen before, almost a mix between fear, longing, and curiosity. "I want to stay here a little longer."

"Me too." 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Church bells ring, carry me home___   
_Rice on the ground looks like snow___   
_Call my bluff, call you, "Babe"_  
_Have my back, yeah, everyday_  
_Feels like home, stay in bed_  
_The whole weekend_  
_It's nice to have a friend___________

Anne awoke to the spring sun creeping through the curtains and Gilbert's quiet snores. She turned over to face him, watching him steadily breathing in and out. His curls stuck out wildly and she had to resist the urge to run her hands through them to smooth them out - as she has to do so frequently during the day. He had one arm behind her head that she'd been using as a pillow, and the other resting against his torso.

She reached up with her left hand to lock her fingers with his hand beside her head, smiling as she felt the new band around his finger that matched hers.

It still felt like a dream. That she, Anne Shirley Cuthbert (or should she say now, Anne  _ Blythe _ ) was a married woman. A girl so used to the idea that she'd never be a wife, was now married to her once rival turned childhood friend turned sweetheart. 

The wedding had been everything she'd dreamed of: blossoms in the trees, the spring sun shining down on them as if nature itself was blessing their marriage. The sweetest, most romantic vows read like poetry while family and friends watched on. As they ran down the aisle hand in hand (husband and wife), guests threw rice that fell like snow, giving Anne both her spring and winter wedding dreams. He'd even carried her bridal style to the front door of their new house in a cliché move that she secretly loved. That he was willing to do silly things like that for her because it was "romantical and poetic".

His hand suddenly squeezed hers, but his eyes were still closed. "Are you watching me sleep?" He mumbled, barely audible. Even when barely awake he still had that playful tone that used to annoy her to no end (well, maybe it did still annoy her sometimes. But she loved him anyway.)

"I can't help it." She laughed as he finally rolled over, wrapping his free arm around her waist. "Your snoring woke me up."

"You should've thought about that before you married me." He settled back to sleep, pretending to snore even louder before she had enough and pushed herself away to sit up.

"Is it too late to back out?"

He looked up at her, giving her an overly cheery smile for someone who'd been asleep just moments before. It was hard to be annoyed at him when he looked at her like that. 

"I'm afraid this is proof that you love me." He pointed to the ring on her finger, "You're secret is out  _ Mrs Blythe. _ "

She rolled her eyes and laughed, looking down at the ring. It had been his mother's, one of the few things he ever had of her. He'd found it in his father's things after he died. Marriage had been the furthest thing from his mind back then, but he'd kept it safe. The ring wasn't much, fairly simple. Anne deserved so much more in his opinion, but unfortunately a medical student budget doesn't stretch too far. 

But when he'd given it to her, Anne had sunk to her knees with him, wrapping her arms around his neck. For as she had said, things that are old are far more romantic than things that were knew. There was a history behind them, a story. And she wanted to keep that story going, to add their own chapter.

Besides, she'd quickly come to learn that a life spent with those you love was what truly mattered. That diamond rings and marble halls weren't important if it meant you didn't have love. 

Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind as he pulled her back, both of them laughing as she fell. Anne didn't think there had ever been any two people in the world as happy as they were right now. She couldn't imagine anything more perfect than marrying one of her best friends. 

He made her feel safe, curious, and excited all at once. He was someone she could rely on, who'd always be there for her and she'd be there in return. They were equals and partners forever. Through whatever life passion, they were there to support and stand by each other. And now that was official.

They didn't get up for a while, choosing to stay together all day instead. They had their whole lives to go outside and meet the new neighbours. For now, they were happy with just each other.


End file.
